Two Indian Nationals taken into Custody for Questioning Over Temple Bombing

Police officers escort the bombing suspect, center, arrested last week near the border with Cambodia and identified as Yusufu Meerailee or Mieraili Yusufu with his nationality remained unconfirmed, as they transfer him from military to police custody at the metropolitan police headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 7, 2015.

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BANGKOK – Two Indian Nationals have been taken into custody for questioning after they were seen on CCTVs talking to a foreign suspect wanted in Thailand’s deadliest bombing at a temple in Bangkok while a person arrested in the case told police that the mastermind of the attack had fled the country.

The two Indians, who were not identified, have been taken to a military camp for questioning, The Nation quoted police as saying.

“Nothing is really known so far about the Indians and it is not clear what the questioning is about,” sources said.

The two Indians, whose names were withheld, were taken away for questioning after Assistant Police Commissioner General Prawut Thawornsiri led a team to search the Maimuna Garden Home apartment in Minburi at 9 pm on Sunday night.

The two Indians were staying in the room next to the one where police found bomb making materials, the paper said.

A foreigner who lived at the room and a Thai woman who rented the room for him are now wanted in the case.

Thai police is closely combing areas in search of people behind the 17 August bomb blast at the popular Erawan Brahma Shrine which killed 20 people and injured more than 100 others.

A combined force of police and army officers on Sunday raided several apartment buildings and rented houses in Minburi district.

Coloner Wattana Yichin, deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police overseeing Minburi police station, said the raid was part of crime suppression measures as many foreigners rent apartments and houses in the area.

Police so far have issued arrest warrants against ten suspects in connection with the case.

Two foreign suspects have been arrested. One of them was carrying a Chinese passport.

Meanwhile, a suspect who was arrested near the Cambodia border identified as Yusufu Meralli, told military interrogators he assembled the bomb for the actual bomber, who is yet to be nabbed.

The first man arrested, Adem Karadak, also known as Bilal Mohammed, has been shifted from military custody to prison.

Meralli admitted he assembled the bomb before handing it to a yellow-shirted suspect who was seen on CCTV at the shrine leaving behind a backpack which would have had the explosive device.

Mieraili had told the military that he was asked to assemble the bomb, Bangkok Post quoted police sources as saying. Mieraili identified the mastermind of the attack only as Izaan. He said Izaan commanded the operation by using WhatsApp chatting application.

According to a source, Mierali testified that Izaan left Thailand via Suvarnabhumi International Airport on 16 August, a day before the bombing, to China and then headed to Bangladesh.

Mieraili claimed he had never met the yellow-shirted suspect before.

He said Izaan told him to buy bomb-making chemicals via Internet to make bombs. He reported to Izaan after the bombs were made, the paper said.

He was then ordered to carry a backpack with a bomb to leave it under a bench on a bank of Phadung Krungkasem Canal near Hua Lampong Railway station.

Mieraili said the man in yellow shirt came to switch his backpack with the one with the bomb. He said he did not meet the man in yellow in person.

He said the mastermind also instructed him to take a video clip of the bomb attack but he dared not do it for fear of being arrested.

Mieraili was carrying a Chinese passport which mentioned his place of birth as China’s western region of Xinjiang, but it is not known if it was forged.